Time lamplighter.



No. 661,866. Patented Nov. l3, I900. J. GUNNING.

TIME LAMPLIGHTER.

(Application filed Apr. 27, 1900.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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TIME LAMPLIGHT ER.

(Application filed Apr. 27, 1900.) v (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shaet 2.

N0. 66l,866. Patented Nov. I3, I900.

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' Nrrn'o STATES JOHN GUNNING, OF BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND.

TIME LAM PLIG HTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 661.866, dated November 13, 1906.

Application filed April 27, 1900. Serial No. 14,588. (No model.)

To a whom it may con/cai n:

Be itknown thatI, JOHN GUNNING,a citizen of England, residing at No. 100 Holdenhurst road, Bournemouth, county of Hants, England, have invented certain new and useful improvements in apparatus for automatically lighting and extinguishing lamps at predetermined times, (for which I have applied for a patent in Great Britain dated December 27, 1899, No. 25,567,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus by means of which day after day a lamp or a set of lamps is automatically lighted and extinguished at predetermined hours. For gaslamps I employ a stop-cock with passages through its plug such that on turning it partly around the gas can pass, on turning it another step around the passage is closed, and so on, there being, however, in the latter case a small by-pass to maintain a kindling-light. When the lamps are electric, I employ a rotating switch,- which when turned partly around closes the circuit, when turned a step farther opens it, and so on. 1 effect the turning movement of the stop-cock or switch by means of clockwork, such as that of an eightday clock, which will go a week or more with one winding up, and I adjust parts of this clock to act on the stop-cock or switch so as to partly turn it at the hours to which the parts are adjusted, as I shall describe, referring to the accompanying drawings.

On Sheet I, Figure l is a front view, and Fig. 2 is a part plan, of apparatus according to my invention for lighting and extinguishing a single set of lamps. Figs. 3 and 4 are longitudinal sections on planes at right angles to each other of the stop-cock employed for gas-lamps. On Sheet II, Figs. 5 and 9 are, respectively, a front view and a part plan of a modification applicable when there are two sets of lamps, one set of which has to .be extinguished before the other set; and Figs. 6 and 7 are sections on planes at right angles to each other of the stopcock employed for this apparatus, and Fig. Sshows the position of the plug when all the lamps are extinguished.

Referring first to the figures on Sheet I, a is the case of a clockwork of any known kind, arranged like an ordinary eight-day clock to work for a week or more with one winding by applying a key to the arbor b, which is timed to make one revolution in twenty-four hours. On this arbor is fixed a disk 0, to which is loosely held by clamps 01 another disk 6, which has in it twentyfour screw-threaded holes, marked with two sets of numerals each, from 1 to 12, indicating hours. The disk 6 is centered, but free to turn on the arbor b, and so, also, are two arms f and g, each of which has through it a screw 71. with a milled head to be turned by the finger and thumb. On a bracket 7,,projecting from the clock-case, is fixed the gas-cock, having shell k and plug Z, and on the plug a star-wheel m,having eight arms. Through the plug l there are two passages crossing each other at right angles. The plug has also a groove n, which is always in communication with the supply-port p and with a passage q, provided with a regulatingscrew 0 and leading to a pipe which communicates with small kindling-jets, one at each lamp. The passage 5 of the stopcock leads to a pipe which comm uuicates with the main jets of all the lamps.

The apparatus operates as follows: The attendant winds up the clock and turns the starwheel m to such a position that the gas-passages are closed, as shown in Fig. 3, of which positions there are four, indicated by marks on the arms of the star-wheel. He then moves ,the arm faround to the hour at which the lamps are to be lightedsaysixand enters the screw hinto the hole of the disk e which is marked with 6.? He in like manner moves the arm 9 around to the hour at which the lamps are to be extinguished-say two-and enters the screw h into the hole of e marked 2. He now observes the hour of the day at which he is operatingsay two oclock and turns the disk 6 along with the armsf and g as they have been set around until the hole 2 comes opposite the arm of the starwheel which point toward the center of the disk. He then clamps thedisk e firmly to the disk 0 by screwing in the screws h.: The clock as it goes on brings the arm f around to act on the arm of the star-wheel at six oclock, turning the wheel one-eighth part of a revolution, and thus opening one of the passages through the plug, so that gas flows to the lamps, which are lighted by the small kindling-jets. The clock, still going on,brings the wheel at two oclock and turns the plug again one-eighth around, thus closing the passage and extinguishing the lamps. This action of alternately lighting and extinguishing is repeated once every twenty-four hours as long as the clock continues to go.

Sometimes lamps are arranged in two sets, both of which have to be lighted at a given hour daily, but one of which has to be extinguished before the other. To provide for this, the apparatus is modified, as shown by the figures on Sheet II of the drawings. In these figures the parts which correspond with those in the figures of Sheet I are marked by the same referenceletters and need not be again described. The modifications are as follows: Besides the two armsfand g there is a third arm t. The plug of the stop-cock has two parallel holes through it at different parts of its length, the one hole u in one position facing the supply-passage p and putting it in communication with the passage 5, which leads to a pipe supplying the lamps of the one set which have to be soonest extinguished. The other hole 1) communicates by lateral grooves in the surface of the plug and a lateral groove in the shell on the one side with the supply-port p and on the other side with a passage w, leading to a pipe which supplies the set of lamps to be last extinguished. There is also a lateral port 00, with regulating-screw r, leadin'g to a pipe q, supplying kindling-jets for both sets of lamps. In this case the star-wheel m has six arms. When the .plug is in either of its two positions closing passages to both sets of lamps, as shown in Fig. 8, the attendant sets the arms fand g, as above described, to the hour for the lighting of both and extinctionof lamps of the one set, and sets the third arm t to the hour for extinguishing the lamps of the other set, and thereupon the clock goes on causing every twenty-four hours the lighting ofall the lamps at the hour to which arm f is fixed,

When the apparatus is employed for electrical lamps, suitable switches are substituted for the stop-cocks. Thus instead of the stopcock shown in Sheet I the switch would have four metal arms fixed insulated on its spindle and two fixed contacts opposite to each other, and instead of the stop-cock shown in Sheet II the switch would have on its spindle two arms for connecting a pair of contacts on one plane, and on another part of the spindle two arms widened at the ends for connecting the contacts on another plane.

There would of course be no other contacts required for kindling.

Having thus described the nature of this invention and the best means I know of carrying the same into practical efiect, I claim 1. Apparatus for automatically lighting and extinguishing lamps at predetermined times comprising a spindle arranged to revolve once in twenty-four hours, a fixed disk and a free disk on the spindle, adjustable arms having set-screws arranged to secure the arms in different positions on the free disk and clamp said disk to the fixed disk, and a light-control device having a spindle provided with a star-wheel acted upon'by the arms; substantially as described.

2. Apparatus for automatically lighting and extinguishing lamps at predetermined times and arranged to act upon more than one set of lamps, comprising a spindle arranged to revolve once in twenty-four hours and provided with a fixed disk and a free disk, three arms having set-screws arranged to fix them in different positions on the free disk and clamp the free disk to the fixed disk, and a light-control device having a star-wheel with six arms arranged to be acted upon by the three adjustable arms; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HN GUNNING.

the extinction of the lamps of the one set at the hour to which the arm g is fixed and the extinction of the lamps of the other set at the hour to which the arm t is fixed.

Witnesses:

CLEMENT JNo. HERNDON, JNo. R. MUMFORD. 

